The Collins Farms, located in Van Buren County, just outside Scotland, Ark., is home to Richard Collins and his 19-year-old son Shane. His dad Richard Sr. still lives in the house Richard grew up in, just about a mile from Scotland in the opposite direction. Richard’s family is most important to him. Every Sunday after church is family time where they meet at the Collins’ home and have a meal together. Richard said, “You can find me sitting right here (meaning on the sofa) holding my first grandbaby, who is nine weeks old.” The mother is his 27-year-old daughter, Shannon Baker, who is a teacher.
Richard is also very community minded and has been a volunteer and EMT for approximately 10 years. He serves as a Justice of the Peace on the Van Buren County Quorum Court, has served on the local school board and a board member of the water association, and has been on the Van Buren County Farm Bureau for the last 15 years. Shane also is a member of the local volunteer fire department and is an emergency medical responder.
When he is not working on the farm, Richard works for Cliff McIntire Construction, where he has worked full-time for the last three years. Shane works as a plumber and on the weekends as a radio announcer.
The Collins Farms started in 1990 with chickens, cows and hay on 226 acres. There were three chicken houses going full time. Seven years ago Richard sold off part of the farm and the three chicken houses and built a new house on the property he kept. The farm currently consists of 150 acres, though approximately 150 more is leased for pastureland.
There are seven ponds on the farm but with the drought only one of them had water left in it. He was able to irrigate 7 to 10 acres from the one big pond. Normally, all of the hay is grown on the farm but the drought affected the growth this year. The recent rains have caused many more weeds than normal and there has been an infestation of Armyworms on the farm. Richard, Sr., said, “It’s the life of a farmer,” one year is good and the next may not be.
The cattle on the farm consist of two herds, Richard has a mix of Salers and Limousin cattle and Shane has Registered Black Angus. During the hot dry conditions Richard puts a small amount of antibiotics in cattle feed to help with the health of the cattle. He also adds fly meds to the feed tubs to help prevent flies on the cattle. The cattle are given vitamins and minerals to ensure good health. However, due to the drought the herd had to be thinned out this year. Since the recent rain the cattle have pasture for grazing. All of the cattle are from breeding stock on the farm, Richard doesn’t buy any calves. Though father and son don’t agree on the kind of cattle to have on the farm, it all works just the same.
Interestingly enough, Richard still rides horses instead of using a four wheeler. He likes riding; he even has a hitching post next to the barn that houses his farm equipment.
Though there are ups and downs in the world of farming, Richard said, “Farming has been good to me, I was at home to raise my kids and make a life for them.”
